PlayStation All-Stars: The Movie (Director's Cut)
by Coleiosis
Summary: Enjoy an edited, remastered edition of the classic premiere of the currently-running PlayStation All-Stars series! Ratchet must protect Pupuru from the menace of the Dark Knight, whose scheme is to trap her in the horrid nightmare she had endured before awakening to the real world. The future hold much more for our heroes down the road...


PlayStation All-Stars: The Movie

by Cole Bezotte, Fernando Jimenez, and Lee Bezotte

Ah, the memories. You've probably heard that being said plenty of times. And nothing beats the moment than going back in time and finding the old stuff you put away for a while. The same goes for this tale I wrote that was originally intended to wrap up the classic PlayStation All-Stars series. But the show still goes, and you can catch the latest episode on YouTube, as this is now an audio play series.

This is the edited, remastered director's cut from January 2020. The original version of this story was written July-November 2014. All edits include spelling/grammar fixes, dialogue rearranging, and altered scenes. Please enjoy!

Chapter One: The Nightmare Ends

The car known as Roadkill drove through the streets of Los Angeles, searching for the lone man behind the competition called Twisted Metal. Once the man named William Sparks, also called Calypso, was in sight, the car parked. Out of the car stepped the man with the long black hair and beard. He was Marcus Kane, the true identity of the murderous clown Needles.

Calypso spoke to him: "Congratulations! You've won this year's Twisted Metal. You may claim your prize."

Marcus sighed and stated before speaking of his wish: "I know none of this is real… is it?"

"Twisted Metal is as real as you want it to be. And apparently, you want it to be very real… Needles."

"Wait! I don't understand! Are you saying I've got something to do with all this death and destruction?"

"The world is as you see it. Your mind is a powerful thing, Mr. Kane."

Marcus became very enraged, he slapped Calypso's hand out of the way and exclaimed: "Stop it! Stop it! You're confusing me! Enough of this! I wish this nightmare would end once and for all!"

With a frown, Calypso replied: "There are some wishes even I can't grant completely, Needles. But I'll do what I can for now." With a raise of his hands, he called upon his powers and sent bright lightning down upon Marcus. But did it mean that he was fulfilling his wish.

Once the light finally faded, Marcus found himself on a bed, in a house. He got up and looked out the window to see that he was placed in a friendly neighborhood. "This feels a bit real," he thought. "But will everything be alright?"

Marcus was wrong… for now. He heard someone was at the door of the bedroom he was in. He saw the door come crashing down, and in stepped the killer clown Needles, who bore the same name Marcus Kane. "YOU!" Marcus exclaimed as Needles stepped further into the room.

"Of course it's me!" Needles replied. "Or should I say YOU! You know that we are both the same person Marcus Kane. And your end will be the eternity of the dream. Dare kill me, and the girl awakens."

"Please! Leave her alone! She's sick of having you inside her head!"

"Begging is useless. My job is what it is. Let's do this!"

"No! No! It mustn't end this way!" Then, with a bloodcurdling scream, Marcus shouted up into the sky: "PUPURU! WAKE UP!"

And there began the wake-up call. The situation was merely a dream Pupuru had one day. But it seemed like her whole life was all one big dream itself. She finally opened her eyes and found herself in a prison cell. "How did I get here?" she thought. "What happened?"

Pupuru heard footsteps coming her way; Agent Stone had arrived at her cell. "So you've finally woken up," he spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Pupuru replied. "What happened?"

"You killed so many innocent people while sleepwalking. You kept muttering some names over and over again, like they were part of your fantasy. Needles? Ratchet? Who are those guys? You were quite the nightmare machine."

"That's it! Now I remember! I must go get Ratchet's help so that I can finally defeat Needles!"

"You're still mad! You were merely dreaming this whole time. None of this ever happened!"

"What?!" Pupuru whimpered as a tear began to form in her eye.

"You were dreaming everything! There's no such thing as a psychotic clown or aliens or whatever crap you were thinking of. You're sincerely crazy!"

Pupuru could not believe her ears; she did not like what she was hearing. "I now remember…" she thought. "There was a day when I was very sick. Kuu had prepared a special medicine for me, but I took too much of it. As I fell asleep that day, it gave me so strong of a side effect that I dreamt a very long dream. While I dreamt of being locked in a battle, I was killing many people in the real world without even knowing what I was doing. Also, I blindly took a portal gun and used it to enter into modern Earth.

"I finally began to wake up once I had formed the Girls Brigade in the dream. Neptune's younger sister Nepgear was kidnapped by a villainous group, and so I needed to go rescue her. But once I reached the villains' domain, Neptune was killed in action. I felt so ashamed of letting my friend die, I fled from the battle. I bumped into Ratchet, who gave me the special Time Box; it was a miniature house that traveled through time. I used it to go back to the past and save Neptune from the death that was just about strike her.

"Next, I remember visiting Greymoor Cemetery in the present time. It was there that the zombie Frank McCutcheon rose; I hated him and his sewn face. He was best known as No-Face. I ran into him as he looked down at me with that horrid disfigured mug. He said he wanted me to be his new daughter. The daughter he had never liked him because of his face; he thought that I would be a more fitting daughter for him. I kept begging him to go away and leave me alone, but he would never leave me.

"Suddenly, No-Face began to roam through Los Angeles, terrorizing the city, murdering innocent people, and setting many places afire. It soon began to get worse as Needles returned, more stronger than ever with the Sweet Tooth mask. He had also brought back the monstrous Marcus from Needles' dream; they began to set fire the suburbs and turn Los Angeles into a place of ruin.

"I did not know what to do. An unknown thief came along and forced me to go to the Carnival of Darkness, where I had to face my biggest fears. The thief then removed her disguise and revealed herself to be Angela Cross. She helped me and my friends go up against No-Face, who still begged of me to come with him. I strongly refused, and I burned him in a strong, blazing fire, where he finally died.

"That's when I was beginning to open my eyes to the real world. The last I remember was when my friends took me back to the League of Heroes mansion, where I was disappearing from them. I was entering the real world, but not before dreaming about Marcus giving me the wake-up call."

Pupuru stopped right there; she began to realize something. "Now I know that even Ratchet isn't real! He never was! I'm all alone! There's no one out there to help me!"

And so, Pupuru sat alone in her cell, regretting that she believed a myth. But was she right?

Chapter Two: The Dark Knight

In the prison cell next to Pupuru, a man sat on his bench. He had cut off a bull's head and wore it as a mask; he cut off the bull's mouth so that half of his true face would show. He was bare-chested and bleeding at his top. He wore very ragged pants that were heavily torn. His bare feet became very dirty after walking on the filthy floor of his cell.

The man began to think: "The Dark Knight… a fitting name for me. I have finally made it here to the real world so I may fulfill my true destiny! No prison may hold me forever! The time to act is now!"

The moment finally came to the Dark Knight when a security guard came and delivered lunch to the cell. When the guard turned the key and opened the cell door, the Dark Knight quickly ran out and dashed his way throughout the halls of the prison building.

"A prisoner has escaped!" another security guard shouted as he tried so hard to chase after the Dark Knight. He could not go after him no matter how fast he ran.

The Dark Knight began to use his unbelievable brute strength to kill many people that got in his way. He finally made out to the impound lot outside the building, where he would find his escape route. He found a police car parked near the exit, so he killed the officer that stood nearby and stole his keys. He then used it to start up the car and drive out of the place.

"The fools!" he thought. "They don't suspect my true power! My next destination is the abandoned junkyard, where I shall create my empire and rule this entire planet! Nothing can stop me now! The Dark Knight shall rise!"

Chapter Three: When Dreams Come True

On the planet Veldin, the robot Clank walked through where he and Ratchet had their first adventure together. "If only he was here to see this," Clank thought. "But I won't be able to see him… forever. He and Talwyn Apogee used the Dimensionator that led to the place where the rest of his race lives. They cannot get out. I'll never see my friend ever again."

But Clank was wrong; he then saw two figures materialize right in front of him. Ratchet and Talwyn had come back to the modern time of the universe. "How did you get here?" he said as Ratchet looked around himself.

"I honestly have no clue!" Ratchet replied, very confused. "Did the Dimensionator suddenly malfunction? Or was I brought back here by some supernatural force?"

"I'm trying to analyze you, and I can't identify anything on you. But I'm just glad you're back. And I say you've both gotten taller since the last time I saw you."

"I really missed you too. But I'm still very confused about this."

Suddenly, behind them, a projection image shone on a giant boulder; it was an image of the Dark Knight, coming to give an announcement.

"Who is this guy?" Talwyn spoke up.

"I am the Dark Knight from the planet Earth. It was I who brought you back here with my immense power. I issue you to a challenge on Earth, where only the best man shall win. If the Dark Knight wins, the girl will die and be trapped in her own dream. If the Dark Knight dies, the girl will remain alive, and Marcus Kane shall live!"

"What's this joker talking about?" Ratchet said, very confused.

"I do not know," Clank replied. "My memory banks do not detect a man named Marcus Kane."

"Then behold!" the Dark Knight continued as he reached out his hand. "Gain the memory of the girl!" And so, with his power, he put Pupuru's memory inside Ratchet's head so that he would know about the dream. The Dark Knight's image faded away into nothingness.

Ratchet then realized what was going on. He began to think about everything that happened in the dream, including meeting friends and enemies of old and new. "So THAT'S what he summoned me for!" he said. "He made me understand everything about whom he mentioned. Poor Pupuru…"

"That's the girl's name?" Clank replied. "I'll keep that in my memory banks."

"She's locked behind bars as we stand here and speak. She needs her sanity back, as well as her friends from that horrid nightmare. I hope you both are understanding what I'm talking about."

"We're trying to," Talwyn came in. "If this is something that you feel you need to fix, then we're more than willing to chip in."

"That is true, Ratchet," Clank added. "This is something you really want, so we'll help."

"I really appreciate it," Ratchet replied. "You're understanding that Pupuru really needs OUR help, not just mine. With our combined forces, we can protect her from any danger that threatens, especially that Dark Knight character. If we're gonna form the League of Heroes, now is the perfect time to do so. As long as Pupuru's locked away, she's not yet safe…"

Later, Ratchet and his two colleagues took his ship to the planet Kerwan, where he soon met an old friend from a long while ago. He found his first girlfriend Sasha Phyronix there, who had just retired from her position as mayor of Metropolis. He told her about the story of Pupuru and how she was trapped in her own nightmare. Sasha was eager to go along with Ratchet's plan because she was the first to be consulted about it, other than Talwyn and Clank. Captain Qwark was on the same planet at the time and eagerly reunited with Ratchet and the others, willing to go along with the plan.

A very difficult part was when Ratchet visited Earth for the first time. To avoid being shot at first sight, he had to contact the U.S. Army Commander Mason via radio and explain that he had no intention of using any weapons against them, and that he came in peace. He was granted clearance to land, but the true test would soon come afterwards. Commander Mason and Special Agent Shepherd greeted him and heard his plan to protect Pupuru and eradicate the menace of the Dark Knight, but not before revealing to him their lie detector. It was a straight line through the whole conversation, and Ratchet gained the full trust of the U.S. Government.

"We'll buy your plan, Ratchet," Agent Shepherd began to instruct. "Your friends will be given full clearance to land, and we'll assign you each a hotel room to stay at until we complete the paperwork to declare you a citizen of the United States. And the same night you check in is when we'll make the phone calls to the other subjects you list…"

Later that night, in Ratchet's hotel room, the phone calls were made to those whom he recalled from the top of his head. Nathan Drake was the first to receive the call, then Raiden, Sly Cooper, Sackboy, Cole MacGrath, Jak, Daxter, Solid Snake, Spike, and PaRappa.

Once Ratchet had gotten down to his last calls, he then began to realize that some certain subjects were missing. He managed to contact only some of them, but they said they could not come for complicated reasons. As for the others, they did not exist because they only appeared in the dream.

"I think that's everybody," Ratchet thought as he hung up his last call. "What a day! Now all I need to do is get Pupuru out of prison, then everything will move smoothly. I hope you're ready, Pupuru. I'm coming for you tomorrow…"

Chapter Four: Innocence Versus Guilt

_"And now we're back to WMIT. I have with me a member of the U.S. Government itself, known as Agent Stone. Now, Stone, you say that you have found evidence that aliens have landed here. You say that this fella's name is Ratchet; please describe him as best as you can."_

_ "He's a yellow-furred being, has decent clothing with these big shoes. He's got a big head with long ears, and he's got this tail. He has this huge wrench that he carries around, and he's got this little robot on his back."_

_ "Do you know the name of that robot?"_

_ "They say his name is Clank. Don't know why, but that's what everyone calls him."_

_ "Now, Stone, do you absolutely think it is possible that this alien may be remotely dangerous?"_

_ "He could be. He brought all these very destructive weapons with him on his ship, and I suspect he'll use them on us when we least expect it! He must be stopped! He cannot be trusted to live here!"_

_ "So you don't think that he is a friendly alien?"_

_ "I don't. I say that he must be dealt with immediately!"_

_ "But what proof do you have that he is indeed dangerous?"_

_ "His weapons and technology that I had just mentioned. They might be nuclear."_

_ "Maybe he's a friendly alien who is an expert on technology?"_

_ "I don't think so. He bore a grim expression as he walked by Blackfield Asylum. He might be on to something."_

_ "Okay, Stone. I think this conversation is going too far. Perhaps we should move on to the next song that's waiting to be aired. Here's 'Had Enough' by Lifehouse."_

Chapter Five: Pupuru Released

The next morning, Pupuru sat in her prison cell, dreading what was possibly going to be the rest of her life. She feared that she would be in prison forever. "Everything never happened," she thought. "There's no hope for me!"

Pupuru drooped her head low and began to hear many other prisoners murmur senselessly. Here and there, she heard what other prisoners were saying:

"The Lord does work in mysterious ways. He giveth and He taketh away. So it was with my freedom."

Pupuru thought that those people were going completely mad. She did not want to live the rest of her life with these total freaks. "If only some miracle can happen," she thought. "I cannot live like this! I can't…"

Suddenly, her train of thought was soon interrupted by a familiar voice. Some outside her cell had said: "There she is…"

Pupuru's cell door opened, and in stepped Ratchet and Sasha, finally putting their plan into action. She refused to believe what she was seeing; she thought she was dreaming again. "I'm going completely mad!" she thought. "I'm seeing things!"

"I knew I'd find you," Ratchet said, not knowing what Pupuru was thinking.

"What do you want with me?" Pupuru replied, still afraid.

"Don't be alarmed. We came to get you out of here. We don't want you living like this."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Let me start from the beginning. You've only seen me and my friends in that dream you had recently. I heard about what happened, and so we're here to make this dream come true in the best way possible. We'll have such grand adventures together with no psychotic clown chasing you down. You'll be safe with us. Now there's a promise I'm willing to keep."

"Can you please prove that this is another dream?"

"Don't doubt us already, Pupuru. You're fully awake this time. This is as real as you see it. Let's get going. The League of Heroes is eager to see you."

Pupuru thought that she should stay in prison. She still thought that she was going mad. But she went back on her thought of not wanting to live the rest of her life here. And so, she had no choice but to go along with what was happening around her. Her life was soon about to change slowly as she went with Ratchet to leave this prison.

As Pupuru followed Ratchet and Sasha to the exit, she noticed that Agent Stone held a walkie-talkie in his hand. His other hand was in his pocket, where he secretly held his gun, ready to end this so-called threat Ratchet put up.

Pupuru quickly looked away and began to change the subject: "So, Ratchet, do you still have that Omniwrench of yours?"

"Thank you for reminding me," Ratchet replied as he pulled out his Omniwrench. "It's still as strong and useful as ever."

Right then, Agent Stone screamed through his radio: "He's drawing a weapon! All units open fire!"

Stone had many soldiers positioned in various places of the prison building. They were poised and ready to fire at Ratchet, whom Stone saw as the enemy. They began to fire their guns at him, only to have their bullets deflected by his Omniwrench. Startled and surprised, the quick-moving Lombax deflected almost every bullet he saw flying his way, while other shells missed him and dropped to the floor.

Sasha and Pupuru did not have a weapon; they were unprepared for something like this. But nearby gunmen were; Agent Shepherd and Commander Mason fired their pistols at Stone's hand, causing him to drop his radio. Shepherd quickly ran over to him and bound the bleeding hands with handcuffs, while Mason ordered Stone's men to throw down their arms. The danger was over, and so the traitor Stone was Pupuru's replacement in that prison cell.

"That alien fiend!" Stone exclaimed. "He let that murderous girl go! He won't get away with this!"

"You're too consumed in your hot head." Shepherd replied. "Mason and I helped plan it that way."

Ratchet withdrew his Omniwrench and sighed. "Maybe I was wrong about there being no danger here," he said. "The plan may have had holes there, but at least it's just our first step to adventure. Let's head to the mansion."

Chapter Six: The League Of Heroes

Agent Shepherd drove Ratchet, Sasha, and Pupuru down to the suburbs of Los Angeles, where a mansion waited for its owner to return with the prize. Once the trio was brought to the correct place, Shepherd headed back to downtown.

Pupuru took one good look at the mansion and right away recognized it from the dream. "This feels like some fantastic dream!" she thought. "But this time, I'm wide awake! Well, dream or not, I'll just have to go along with it. The only question is: am I safe?"

Ratchet reached into his pocket and pulled out a very familiar-looking key. "Remember this little baby?" he said to Pupuru. "It's like opening the doors to the TARDIS. We still have the best technology around."

Ratchet opened the door to be first met by Nathan Drake, who was enthusiastic about this plan from the start. "You actually did it!" Nathan spoke up as he let the trio inside. "Way to pull it off, Ratchet! Welcome, Pupuru!"

As Ratchet led the other two inside, Jak and Daxter stood nearby and noticed how successful it all turned out. "Gee whiz!" Daxter spoke up. "I thought you were kidding!"

For that remark, Jak gave Daxter the best feedback he could think of: a flick on the head.

"Well…" Ratchet continued, "...here we are! You're safe with us, your fellow League of Heroes."

As Pupuru looked around, remembering exactly how the place was like in the dream, she said: "Where's William? And Jin? Where are they?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but some of them couldn't make it. Jin couldn't come because of some complicated reasons. And as for William…he isn't real."

"What do you mean?"

"You might want to hear this news bulletin I saved recently." With that, Ratchet held a tape recorder and let the audio play.

The tape played: _"Well…IF she walked out there on her own. But people are saying, you know, people are saying it's Calypso. That it's his Twisted Metal…_

_ "Ah shoot, here we go again."_

_ "No no, now listen! It's all true! Now there was this preacher, right? And he…"_

_ "Now wait a minute. Where are the cops in all of this? How about the military?"_

_ "Well now look, they have wishes too, and everyone…"_

_ "Where are all the protestors? If it wasn't just crime getting bad… but if this Twisted Metal were actually real, there'd be protestors, right? If all this violence and death and destruction we're seeing… if it wasn't just crime getting worse, but if it was actually caused by Calypso, people would be taking up arms against this guy! They'd be pouring out into the streets trying to take Calypso out. But where is everyone? Where are all the people? Where are all the protestors? Yeah, exactly. Exactly my point. The protestors, they don't exist because the CONTEST doesn't exist. Twisted Metal? It just ain't real…"_

Ratchet stopped the audio, then continued: "Rest assured, Pupuru. There's nothing to be afraid of. I know it's disappointing that you won't be seeing William again. But, Kat and Raven made it here, and they're excited to see you. They had to make a public announcement at Hekseville that they were coming here. They're upstairs waiting for you."

Excited, Pupuru headed up the stairs which led to the second floor, where she met the door of the Girls Brigade room.

Meanwhile, back downstairs, everyone felt that their plan was moving along successfully. "I knew this was too good to be true," Sly Cooper spoke up as he slumped motionlessly on the couch. "I just wish that this archaeologist wasn't here."

Nathan knew what Sly meant. "Hey!" he replied. "I had enough of our rivalry; it's time we work together."

"But has Ratchet ever told Pupuru about the Gargoyles?"

Ratchet froze as he heard this; he had not warned Pupuru about the monstrous army of ferocious, bloodthirsty Gargoyles. "I guess I'll have to tell her when she comes back down," he thought. "She'll need the heads-up for later on…"

Chapter Seven: The Coming Of The Gargoyles

Far away from the suburbs, past the fields, stood the Zorko Bros. Scrap and Salvage junkyard. Throughout the junkyard stood many piles and bundles of scrap metal, broken glass, and electrical appliances. Gears, glass doors, chains, television sets, tanks, robot parts, vehicles, and many sticks of dynamite piled up upon each other.

Among those piles of metal were these unusual creatures that looked like twisted, distorted humans. They were the ones known as the Gargoyles, created by the Dark Knight himself. They may have looked like disfigured humans on the outside, but they had the personalities of wild animals and beasts.

Nearby was a small abandoned tool shed, which the Dark Knight claimed as his throne. He was ready to come out and see something amazing which was also brought out of Pupuru's dream. He came out of his shed and walked over to a man who was bound in chains. That man was known as Billy Ray Stillwell; he had leaped out of the dream, but became disfigured and twisted. His mind was no longer under his will, and so he went berserk. He was chained and put on a leash like the wild animal he acted like. He barked and hissed violently; many of the Gargoyles tried to tame him and hold him steady.

"We shall use him for a great purpose," the Dark Knight said as he walked away back to his shed. "He is the first of a monstrous human. He is now one of us. I shall now think of an excellent battle plan against the so-called League of Heroes."

Later that night, back at the mansion, Ratchet called a meeting for their first battle plan. He told everyone that he'll lead the group to the junkyard where the Dark Knight and his Gargoyles were hiding. "I need you all to come with me if we are going to end this threat sooner," he said as he got deeper into the conversation. "We must be careful about their weapons; witnesses recently reported that within their stacks of wood, metal, and glass are sticks of dynamite that can blast everything and cause the shards to fly everywhere. Qwark, did you listen to what I just said?"

Captain Qwark spoke up and replied, confused: "Something about sharp blades and high explosives?"

"Not really a good listener if you ask me…"

"Guys!" Cole MacGrath interrupted. "Let's not blow our tops! Let's just get down to the business."

"Right!" Ratchet replied. "Sorry about that. Anyway, moving on!"

After the whole plan was told, Pupuru heard Ratchet say that they were all going on this mission. She wanted to say something and object about it. "Sorry, Ratchet, but I'm not sure I want to go on this mission. I'm just not warmed up for this stuff yet. I need a little more time."

"Well, if you don't want to go, then you could stay. PaRappa, you're the only one I know who doesn't exactly have a weapon. Will you keep Pupuru safe here?"

"Sure thing," PaRappa replied. "I don't mind doing that."

Chapter Eight: Invasion

The next day, Ratchet led everyone (except for Pupuru and PaRappa) out of the suburbs, past the fields, and to the Gargoyles' hideout. They were not noticed yet by any of the monstrous creatures among the scrap piles. Ratchet and the others stood atop the roof of the office building that once belonged to this junkyard. They watched the deadly creatures down below as they roared and gnashed their teeth in fury.

"When I give the signal…" Ratchet began, "...get ready to make the first move."

"I feel like we shouldn't be doing this," Kat interrupted. "I somehow feel that this whole case about the Dark Knight is connected with Pupuru. Perhaps she should be here so that we can find the answers we need."

"Are you kidding?" Daxter replied. "She'll never survive out here. And besides, our mission here is to simply take that Dark Knight down, and it'll all be over."

"But don't you think we should find out who the Dark Knight really is? I feel like Pupuru needs to accomplish this mission."

"She said she wasn't ready for this," Ratchet came in. "I don't want her getting killed out here. Snake, I hope you got plenty of grenades for a starter."

"I got all the grenades we need in the first place," Snake replied as he prepared to throw a grenade down at the Gargoyles below.

"Good. Let's do this!"

Down below, the Dark Knight took a large whiff of the air. He smelled that the heroes were near. "There is an aroma…" he whispered. "I can sense a creature is near. The young Lombax is here to attack! We must prepare the bombs!"

Back up onto the rooftop, Snake threw his grenade down at a group of Gargoyles below. A large explosion made the horrible creatures fly everywhere around the junkyard. That was only the first part of the heroes' plan; the next part was soon to come.

The Dark Knight had witnessed the explosions, and so he sent his army to go after the heroes. "Destroy them!" he commanded. "They must not end the nightmare!"

The heroes came down to the ground, where they thrust their weapons forward in attack. As many swords, clubs, and staves were swung, Gargoyles flew everywhere. As guns, lasers, and darts were fired, many enemies trembled to the ground after their first hit. But the Gargoyles had other tricks up their sleeves; their swords were the sharpest and most crooked. Anything that the swords would touch would immediately be damaged. The Gargoyles also had unpolished wooden clubs, merely ripped off from trees; a single touch would give any victim a splinter within the second of touching.

The heroes had to duck and dodge their way past such vast weapons. "I'll handle the Dark Knight alone!" Ratchet said as he charged for the Dark Knight's shed. "Let me at him! I want Pupuru to be truly safe!"

The Dark Knight watched as Ratchet charged straight at him. He gave a wave of his arm and gave his next command to his fellow minions. "Detonate the bombs!" he demanded.

Loyally obeying their leader, the fearsome Gargoyles lit many torches and threw them onto their piles of scrap metal. The dynamite within the piles caused large explosions to erupt, sending the many scraps and broken glass to fly everywhere around the junkyard.

These "bombs" were the only things that the heroes could not take cover from. There was no escape from them; the only place of safety was the tool shed that the Dark Knight hid in. "Ratchet!" Nathan called out. "We won't be able to avoid those bombs much longer! We must go back!"

Ratchet turned around and saw the commotion going on. He then felt like it was the right thing to reassemble his mates and head back to the mansion. "We won't have time to explain the next plan right now," Ratchet thought as he ran out of the junkyard with the others. "We'll have to head back to the mansion, where it's safe, and think of a new strategy."

Chapter Nine: The New Strategy

Once everyone had made it back to the mansion, they had recovered from the battle at the junkyard. The next day, Ratchet called everyone together for a new battle plan. He noticed that every single member had come except for Pupuru. She was sleeping upstairs at the time, and so she did not know what the new plan was to defeat the Dark Knight.

Ratchet continued the following plan: "This time we won't head straight to the junkyard, otherwise things will end up just like yesterday. Instead, we'll wait for the Dark Knight out in the fields, which is nearby his hideout. He may send as many Gargoyles as he wants, but we can fight them off. Let me at the leader so we can end the trouble he's been causing."

"But what about Pupuru?" Raven asked. "Will she go with us?"

"I can't risk her. It is best that she stays here. PaRappa, I trust you to keep an eye on her again."

"I guess that's better than nothing…" PaRappa replied.

"You will have to keep her inside the mansion at all times. There will be many Gargoyles out there, the entire population of Los Angeles will have to evacuate. We need you to keep her here and never let her outside until it's all over."

"But if the population is evacuating, what makes you think you all can go out there on such a night?"

"It's our only chance to push through and win this fight."

Cole stepped in to point out a remark to Ratchet: "You're basically saying that we are stronger than Pupuru. What kind of bullcrap is that?"

"Cole is right," Talwyn came in. "You're being selfish."

"I'm not trying to sound selfish," Ratchet replied. "I just want what's best for her."

"But you're doing it the wrong way, Ratchet," Sasha pointed out. "This isn't like you."

"All of you be quiet! You're confusing me! I say we keep Pupuru here until it is safe, and that's that. Let's pack up our weapons."

As Ratchet walked to the garage to gather his guns, Captain Qwark looked at him. He whispered: "You don't have what it takes."

Snake and Raiden began to talk about what might be the outcome for after the battle is won. "You're not staying here forever, are you?" Raiden started.

"I don't know," Snake replied. "I might have to rejoin with Foxhound after this… if we are successful, that is."

"What Kat said yesterday may be true; the Dark Knight is hiding something."

"I don't know why we can't even send an army after those creeps."

"I guess only WE have the power to stop them."

Daxter noticed that Kat and Raven were bringing their cat and crow with them for the next battle. "Why must you always bring your pets every time there's a fight put up?" he asked them.

"They are what grant us our gravitational powers," Raven answered in reply. "We can't be too far away from them, otherwise our powers won't work."

That night, the heroes set out for the fields, leaving PaRappa behind to keep an eye on Pupuru as they fight the Dark Knight. As they walked out of the suburbs, Ratchet thought deeply: "This is it! No turning back! My heart may be pounding heavily, but I must go on! I must protect Pupuru with everything I've got!"

Chapter Ten: Leaving The Mansion

As the heroes went on to the fields, PaRappa sat silently on the couch back at the mansion. He heard the sound of soft footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Pupuru; she had just woken up from her sleep.

Pupuru looked around and saw that nobody but PaRappa was there. "Where is everybody?" she asked in a tired tone.

"They went out to fight that Dark Knight dude," PaRappa answered in replied. "I don't know when they'll be back."

"Why did they take off without me?"

"They thought it was best for you to stay here. They told me to keep an eye on you. Besides, last time you said you weren't ready for this."

"But right now I feel as if there's something we need to know from the Dark Knight. My friends need my help!"

"You can't go out there. Ratchet gave me strict orders to keep you here. He demands those orders to be carried out."

"Why? Why must Ratchet be not the same as in the dream? The Ratchet I know is courageous, brave, and has a big heart. But now I'm dealing with a heartless alien who wants things to go his way! This is ridiculous!"

"He doesn't want you to go out there and instantly get slaughtered by a bunch of Gargoyles. He wants you to be safe here. Look outside and see for yourself."

Pupuru looked out the nearest window and saw what was happening. Very dark clouds coated the sky and blocked out the finishing sunset; night was pouring in. Nobody was ever driving by; the entire population of Los Angeles had evacuated. Gargoyles were hiding in many places outside in the suburbs, the downtown area, and other corners of town. Nobody ever knew when those monsters would come out of their hiding places and attack.

As Pupuru turned back, she suddenly saw through another window what looked like the form of Needles. She briefly screamed at the sight. "It's him!" she exclaimed as she pointed at said window.

PaRappa turned to see what was there, but he found nothing. "I don't see anything," he said as he looked through the window.

"But I thought I just saw Needles out there!"

"You're probably imagining things. We all know that Needles isn't real."

Pupuru looked through the window to see Needles again; her imagination was running away with her. But this time, the ugly figure waved hello in a friendly manner.

"This could be a clue," Pupuru thought. "I may actually DO have a connection with the Dark Knight. I must go out there."

Pupuru opened the door and stepped outside to the darkened suburbs. "Don't go out there!" PaRappa protested. "It's not safe out there! It's too dangerous!"

"I must go!" Pupuru replied. "Ratchet needs me! He needs to know what I just saw, and what I suspect about the Dark Knight. We need to know who he really is."

"Ratchet specifically said for you not to go out there! That's an order!"

"But I must know the truth!" Ignoring what PaRappa said, Pupuru ran out onto the street.

PaRappa made the decision to go out and stop her. But he was not sure if she would make it out of there alive. He began to run the same direction as Pupuru, but he was shortly stopped when he saw two Gargoyles walk by. PaRappa hid behind a tree and eavesdropped on the conversation the two creatures were having.

"So all the people are gone," one of the Gargoyles spoke up. "That means we won't have much flesh to feast on."

"We will at least have those so-called heroes as our greatest meal," the other Gargoyle replied. "I can't wait to dig into that Lombax's alien flesh!"

"But what about the girl?"

"The Dark Knight will give the orders about what happens to her. In the meantime, we should go explore the downtown area. In due time, we shall conquer this planet!"

Once the two Gargoyles walked away, PaRappa looked to see if Pupuru was still in sight. She had disappeared, and so he did not know where she went. "Oh man!" he thought. "It will be my fault if I let her die out there! I must go find her! I hope she didn't go to the downtown area. That's where those two Gargoyles are going."

Meanwhile, Pupuru was still making her way out of the suburbs. She went past the ferris wheel and towards the exit, where a freeway began. She looked back to see if any Gargoyles were coming for her. There were none so far, and so she went on.

Chapter Eleven: The Wrong Way

Pupuru continued on and planned to walk on the entire freeway that led to downtown. She started at the tunnel in which it began, and so she went inside and walked through the long way. As she went on, the dim lights guided her to the end of the tunnel.

Right then, Pupuru's heart suddenly leaped. The more she walked on, the more scared she became. She was the only one out here in this area, except for the Gargoyles that might strike out at her any time soon.

Pupuru went on and stepped out of the tunnel. The freeway continued on until it reached downtown. She found herself into the city area, where the first thing she saw was the statue of an Italian pizza chef. That statue belonged to the Happy Vito's pizza restaurant.

Pupuru headed for the restaurant, which was across the street from the bowling alley. Right next to the restaurant was a movie theater; Pupuru dared not to go in there because of how big of a place it was. The Gargoyles could have been hiding in there because the glass doors were broken. It was obvious that those creatures had broken in there to hide at either the concession stands or the showing rooms.

Pupuru looked through the glass doors of the restaurant. There was no one in there; all the lights were out. That must have been a place that those two Gargoyles from earlier had ignored. Pupuru felt like this was the only building that was safe.

But right then, she realized something had gone wrong. She had gone the complete opposite direction of where the heroes had went. She had went the other way of where the suburbs exit, while the others took the path which led to the fields. Pupuru did not feel very safe here. She wanted to leave immediately, but a Gargoyle might come out at her any moment. She sat against the building, drowned in sadness and misery, and about to die by the hand of the fiercest creature ever known.

Meanwhile, the rest of the heroes had already arrived at the fields. The sunset was fully taking effect due to the dark clouds already disappearing. These fields once held corn that had finished their process of growing; they were already harvested, and so the fields were left empty. Nearby was a tool shed, where the main enemy was possibly hiding. Ratchet thought that it would be the first thing to do as to go inside and see if the Dark Knight would hide in there.

Ratchet heard footsteps behind him; he turned around and prepared his Omniwrench for action. But it was only PaRappa, in search of help. "What are you doing here?" Ratchet said as PaRappa fully approached him. "I told you to stay at the mansion with Pupuru!"

"I tried to warn her," PaRappa replied. "But she didn't listen. She went out to look for you, but she went the wrong way!"

"You mean she's heading for downtown?! Why didn't you go after her?!"

"The Gargoyles were coming into the suburbs. I couldn't get past them. I don't have a weapon, remember?"

"Then I'll send someone down there to go get her out of downtown. I can't let her life fall into the hands of any of those hideous creatures!"

Jak stepped up and drew out his gun. "I'll go to her," he said, volunteering to head to the downtown area. "At least I have something that can take those monsters down."

"Then it's settled," Ratchet replied. "Go on, and make sure she's safe."

Jak, with Daxter on his shoulder, ran off out of the fields and back to the suburbs, where the path would soon lead to downtown.

As they walked back into the suburbs, Daxter began to doubt the plan's success. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he said as Jak's pace grew slower. "We'll be pummeled by a bunch of Gargoyles if we dare go this way."

"Have you always been an idiot, Daxter?!" Jak replied impatiently. "There's a girl out there who will die if we don't go to save her! Don't you get the picture?!"

"I see you're walking slower now. You must be scared."

"To be honest, I'm a little bit nervous. It is getting darker out here, and those Gargoyles are bound to appear any minute now. I'm trying to move as quickly as I can, yet I can't help but worry."

As Jak moved on to the tunnel, he felt that he was getting closer to his goal. He walked on, hoping to notice Pupuru very soon.

Chapter Twelve: The Battle Begins

Back at the fields, Ratchet opened the door of the tool shed. Inside was a very dark room, and so he brought out a flashlight to light his way. He walked in with Nathan, Raiden, and Sly, searching for the Dark Knight, whom they desire to bring to justice.

As they pointed their flashlights around the dusty shed, they heard the heavy breathing of what sounded like a wild beast. Ratchet felt the breathing on his neck when he started backing away to the wall. Suddenly, he bumped into something that stood right behind him; he turned around and pointed his light at what he had touched. The light shone on the terrifying face of the Dark Knight.

Very quickly, Raiden saw who it was and began to fire his rifle at the Dark Knight. But every bullet he shot missed him; the Dark Knight moved very fast and caused the shells to bounce around to cause confusion. The villain burst out of the shed and easily slipped past the heroes that struggled to fire at him.

"This is only the beginning…" Ratchet thought, "…and this battle will be worth it! The end of the Dark Knight will mean the end of the horrible dream! I promise you that, Pupuru!"

The Dark Knight turned to face the army of Gargoyles that he had summoned before coming here to the fields. He shouted: "Come! Let the League of Heroes fall once and for all!" And so, with a wave of his arm, he commanded his army to charge at the heroes. And so the battle began.

There were more than just fists used to fight this battle. Snake constantly wielded his miniature daggers and threw hand grenades. The explosions may have killed many of those creatures, but it also made the others mad. Soon, many more began to pour in. Snake had the idea of planting land mines on some of the footpath for Gargoyles to step on. It did work, but those horrifying monsters never gave up. They continued to press on for this great battle.

Sly thought that his cane would be the only weapon that would do him any good. He swung it here and there to either throw some Gargoyles off balance or stab them in their vital spots.

Sackboy knew that his Poppit powers would not fail him; and so he used it to summon boxing gloves. He used them to punch those creatures mostly in the face, as well as bopping them on the most vulnerable areas of their heads. "I'm starting to get the hang of it," he thought as he fought on.

Cole had such great power against those Gargoyles. He used it to give them constant shocks of electricity, knocking them out into concussions. But he had to use his other weapons as well in order to knock them dead.

The aliens such as Captain Qwark, Sasha, and Talwyn had their laser pistols as their weapons. They continued to fire their guns at the charging Gargoyles, keeping them off-balance. But the heroes' ammunition would soon run out if they used their guns two much.

Raiden did have his sword and electric chain; they were very powerful to show those Gargoyles no mercy. And yet, Ratchet could not help but worry about the Dark Knight. He shoved Raiden aside so he could go find him; the Dark Knight was hiding among the hundreds of Gargoyles. Would he ever enter the battle?

Spike attempted to use his special nets for catching evil monkeys. He tried to jump up and flush a Gargoyle in the net; it did work, but only for a little while. The monster struggled and wriggled about, trying to escape the trap. Spike thought that it had worked successfully, but it was not enough to actually slay the creature. He needed another strategy, but he did not know what it would be.

Meanwhile, Jak and Daxter had made it to downtown, where they found the frightened Pupuru leaning against the restaurant. "Thank goodness you're safe!" Jak said as he fully approached her. "Ratchet sent me here to get you out of here."

"But what will happen now?" Pupuru asked in reply.

"We don't have much time. We must get back to the suburbs quickly."

"But I can't let Ratchet die out there in the fields! He needs my help!"

"I can't take you there; there must be hundreds of Gargoyles pouring in by now."

And Jak's suspicions were correct; soon, there were more Gargoyles in sight. They came running into the city, taking the freeway's path to head into downtown. "This doesn't look good," Jak thought. "We have a lot more trouble on our hands now. I'll hold them off to protect Pupuru as best as I could."

But even though all those Gargoyles were running into town, some of the other heroes spread out around Los Angeles. Soon, Spike came in along with Cole, Qwark, Kat, Raven, Sackboy, and Snake. They continued their battle deeper into the city as Ratchet and the others continued to fight at the fields.

One particular Gargoyle, named Dark Cloud, led his group of monsters near the restaurant and theater. He ran straight for Spike, grabbed him, and gave him a big squeeze that knocked most of the air out of him. Dark Cloud dropped him to the ground, where he lied there unconscious.

Snake had an idea to get rid of that savage brute. He quickly aimed his rocket launcher at Dark Cloud and shot a missile at him. It blew him away and scraped him across the asphalt, where he perished.

Things were getting tougher deeper in the city. Most of the heroes used their guns to shoot down those hideous monsters. As the Gargoyles charged, they knocked down many streetlights and stoplights along the way. Many lights were burned out as all those daggers being thrown had stabbed right into the light bulbs. It was started to get harder for everyone to see because of how darker the place was becoming. But the heroes still survived the fight they put up with their enemies.

Chapter Thirteen: Sweet Tooth

In all the confusion, Jak and Daxter had lost track of Pupuru. She had run off to the fields without telling the others; she really wanted to help Ratchet in his desperate battle.

As she stepped foot onto the freeway, she suddenly saw a horrid face appear right in front of her. It was the face of Needles from her dream. After about three seconds of staring, the face went away. Pupuru was confused at first, but then she kept muttering to herself: "It's not real. It's only my imagination. I gotta get to Ratchet now!"

But then, Pupuru stopped to see Needles' face appear again. This time, her spoke to her: "You thought this nightmare would end. But it's only the beginning! You would never believe the sheer volume of fear I sense in you. Why don't you end your life here in the real world and come with me? After all, even in a dream, anything is possible."

Pupuru tried to run away; but everywhere she turned, she could only see that face. Needles was everywhere. Finally, he stopped in one place and began to perform something strange. Pupuru suddenly felt herself get pulled by an incredible force that was bringing her closer to the horrid face. She was about to re-enter her dream and be trapped there forever.

Everything seemed hopeless until Pupuru was suddenly snatched away. Kat grabbed her arm and ran off the freeway with her. "What were you thinking?!" Kat said as she led her to the nearby jail building. "Are you TRYING to leave the real world?!"

"I wasn't trying to!" Pupuru replied. "That freak has always been inside my head! He never goes away!"

"I'm taking you to a private place where we can talk more about this."

"We can't! We have to go help Ratchet!"

"He told me to stay here. I can't go back because of all those Gargoyles blocking the path!"

Kat led Pupuru inside the jail building, where things became worse. Many Gargoyles came pouring into the building, chasing Kat and Pupuru everywhere around the first floor. Pupuru looked out the window, then looked up to see the rooftop. "We should go up there," she said as she pointed upwards. "I hope that balcony can be locked."

The girls headed straight into a glass elevator; they let the door close, leaving the Gargoyles outside.

As the elevator went up to the top floor, Pupuru looked down at the city below. She watched as many explosions burst with fiery power. Many bullets flung here and there, trying to reach their targets. It was perhaps a never-ending war.

Suddenly, Pupuru noticed that Billy Ray Stillwell had been unleashed from the junkyard. He had come to downtown, ordered by the Dark Knight to assassinate Pupuru. He screamed as he leaped up to the glass elevator. He bashed through, charging straight for Pupuru to devour her.

Kat, with Dusty nearby the building, used her gravitational powers to push Billy out of the elevator and back down onto the street below. This was definitely a horrifying moment for Pupuru; she was still in danger.

Once Pupuru and Kat made it to the top floor (the main office), the same Gargoyles who had chased them went up the stairs, pouring into the room. Cowardly, Pupuru hid underneath a nearby desk as many of those monsters came charging at her. Kat did not know what was going on inside that girl's head; it was perhaps damaged.

Kat noticed another stairway that led to the roof of the building. She pulled Pupuru out from under the desk and brought her up the stairs. The girls went up onto the rooftop; they quickly locked the door behind them right before the Gargoyles ran out there.

Pupuru took one good look down at the city below; she did not like how her friends were being overrun by those fearsome creatures. The heroes were using the best they had, but it still was not enough to stop the production of this Gargoyle army. Something had to be done.

Chapter Fourteen: Fear Increasing

Kat looked around the rooftop to see if there was any way of escape without having to jump off the whole building. She noticed that this building was built right next to the freeway, and so that would be their escape route. "I have an idea," Kat said as she glowed red due to her gravitational powers. "I'll lead you over to that freeway over there. Just follow me."

Kat began to walk on the wall of the building, then stopped to wait for Pupuru to catch up. Nervously, Pupuru embraced the wall as she slowly climbed down onto the nearest window. "Just follow me," Kat repeated. "And don't look down."

Pupuru moved inch by inch as she moved closer and closer to the freeway. But she could not concentrate because of the big battle below her. She tried hard to forget about it, and so she moved on.

Suddenly, the sound of a door shaking startled Pupuru. The Gargoyles were almost upon her. It made her heart leap, she almost lost her balance. She would have fallen clear off the building if Kat had not saved her right then. Kat used her powers to keep Pupuru still, placing her back on the wall. "Come on," she said. "Just a little further."

Pupuru was finally able to step onto the freeway and regain her balance. But that caused some problems; the Gargoyles had reached the rooftop of the jail building. Kat's red glow went out as she led Pupuru along the freeway. "If saving Ratchet is all you can think about…" she said, "…then let's do this!"

But even the road was blocked by a wave of Gargoyles. Kat and Pupuru had to punch and kick their way through this massive bunch. Suddenly, Pupuru was given a very hard blow on her head; she grew very dizzy as everything blurred before her eyes. She could not see very well, and she was beginning to lose her balance.

Right then was when Raven swooped right into the battle. She glowed a dark blue as she unleashed her gravitational powers upon the charging Gargoyles. She lifted them up from the floor and threw them right off the freeway, clearing a path for Kat and Pupuru to go through.

The two girls went on with their journey to go and save Ratchet from the evil grip of the deadly Dark Knight.

Meanwhile, back at the fields, the battle against those hideous monsters was not going out like the heroes planned. A wave of fire blazed across the ground as a bulky figure slowly walked towards it. It was the Dark Knight; he had finally decided to show himself and join the battle.

This gave the heroes the opportunity to finally attack him. First, Nathan ran towards him, shooting at him in the process. But bullets had no effect on the Dark Knight's very strong skin. He quickly tossed Nathan aside, only to be wrapped around by Raiden's electric chain. It may have shocked him, but only for a temporary moment; the Dark Knight forced Raiden off his back and pushed him out of the way.

Nothing seemed to be working to defeat the Dark Knight. After he had thrown everyone else out of his way, there was no one else but Ratchet to deal with him. Ratchet decided that he was going to fight him alone; he drew out his Omniwrench and hurled himself at the Dark Knight. He tried to swing his wrench downwards at the same time in order to hit the monster on the head; the Dark Knight was too fast for him, able to dodge out of the way just in time.

The Dark Knight had a weapon of his own; in his hand, he held a scepter of great power. The tip was actually a laser that shot out a very painful beam. The head of the scepter was actually a blade that would kill anyone it touches. The Dark Knight swung his scepter at Ratchet, trying to end the rebellion against his rule and the army of Gargoyles. Ratchet was agile enough to dodge these attacks, and so he used his Omniwrench to fight back as well. Their weapons clashed together like silverware, only stronger and more powerful. But the more Ratchet fought on, the more exhausted he became. He may have given Pupuru his promise, but he had gone way over his head about it. He could not take any more of this action; he was truly very tired.

Finally, with one blast of a laser beam from the Dark Knight's scepter, the villain brought the battle close to its end. The beam engulfed Ratchet in a very bright light; the Lombax screamed as he had now experienced the harshest pain beyond his imagination. Once the light finally faded, Ratchet could not move himself. He was too weak to stand himself up; he thought that everything was now hopelessly lost.

The Dark Knight walked towards him, laughing in the triumph that would soon be his. "Look at you!" he teased. "The last Lombax! Defender of the weak! Champion of the oppressed! How easily the mighty has been defeated! I know all about you, Ratchet! You have given that little girl a promise, but you cannot keep that promise for long! Once I finish you off here and now, there will be no more existence of your alien race! I'll kill all your friends, then this entire planet will be mine! I shall show this human race no mercy!"

The Dark Knight raised his scepter to finish Ratchet off for good. Ratchet thought that it was over: "I have failed you, Pupuru," he thought. "I thought I could do it, but I have failed! There's nothing I could do now! Nothing!"

However, before the Dark Knight could make his move, he was suddenly hit on the head by a brick. He turned to see who had hit him: it was Pupuru. She had to save Ratchet just like she promised.

Pupuru reached down to take Ratchet's Omniwrench; she planned to use it against the Dark Knight in the turning tide of this battle. The Dark Knight attacked Pupuru as she charged at him. Their weapons clashed together again and again; but this time, the Dark Knight felt like there was something changing. He perhaps knew about his connection with Pupuru. Now he knew who he really was; he finally realized his true identity.

But before the Dark Knight could say anything, Pupuru snatched his scepter from his hand. She zapped him with the laser, causing him to scream loudly in excruciating pain. Pupuru lifted him with the Omniwrench and used it as a catapult to throw him onto a power line. So much electricity flowed through his veins and everywhere inside his body. His screams became more louder than ever as he began to slip and fall down onto the ground.

It was not a winning victory for Pupuru yet. As the Dark Knight fell down to the ground, he passed some of the electric current onto Pupuru. She was given a very big shock of electricity. After all that, she was knocked out unconscious. Ratchet quickly ran over, picked her up, and carried her away. "Let's go!" he called out. "We've got to heal her now! Run, while there is still time!"

The Gargoyles were retreating back to the junkyard they came from. The battle was over, but nobody knows who really won.

Chapter Fifteen: The Awakening

Once the city was clear of the Gargoyles, Ratchet had brought Pupuru safely back to the mansion. He watched Pupuru wake back up as she lied down on the couch. "You're safe now, Pupuru," Ratchet said to her. "You'll be just fine."

"I don't think so," Pupuru wearily replied. "I can't feel myself anymore. I seem to be fading away."

"Fading? How?"

"I seem to be returning to my dream! I might spend the rest of my life there! I can always be with you there."

"Pupuru, this is not you! You'll be stuck in your own imagination! This here is the REAL world! You have your real friends here with you! We don't want you to leave us!"

"I don't know if the Dark Knight knows…who he really is."

"You mean…you were trying to tell us something?"

"I now know…his true identity…from the real world."

Meanwhile, the Dark Knight had recovered from that extremely painful shock of electricity. He slowly walked back into the tool shed, weary and exhausted from the ordeal. After walking inside, he looked at himself through a nearby mirror. But he did not see himself in the reflection; he instead saw the full form of Needles.

Needles spoke to him: "So now you know the truth. Now you know who you really are."

"Yes I do," the Dark Knight replied. "I am he who Pupuru calls Marcus Kane. You and I were together in her dream; right when you were about to kill me, I called out to her and told her to wake up. But she did not hear me, so I had to leap right out of her head. I escaped, but you followed me. You twisted my mind and turned me into this: a monster I never wished to become. You transformed me into this Dark Knight! Pupuru reached my mind as I fought her; I was finally able recognize who I was. That electric shock gave me more of my real memory.

"Now I know why I said the legend: 'if the Dark Knight wins, the girl will die and be trapped in her own dream. If the Dark Knight dies, the girl will remain alive, and Marcus Kane shall live!' I am no longer the Dark Knight! IN THE REAL WORLD, I AM MARCUS KANE!"

"What do you plan to do?" Needles asked. "Surely, I hope you don't get rid of me."

"That's what I intend to do," Marcus replied. "You're the one responsible for all the trouble caused, and so I want to end it all!"

"I don't think that will ever happen, you moron! You don't know how!"

"You think? I must save Pupuru before she returns to live in her own nightmare! I must connect with her and prove who I really am!"

"She already knows! You have looked like that in the many dreams within!"

"It's time that I remove this burden and reveal my true colors!" Marcus closed his eyes tightly and began to connect his mind with Pupuru's far away.

Back at the mansion, Pupuru began to receive a mental message from Marcus. Now everyone knew the true identity of the Dark Knight; they finally knew that he was really Marcus Kane.

"He's calling to me!" Pupuru said as she concentrated on reaching Marcus' mind. "He says that he can end the nightmare and save me!"

"Concentrate hard, Pupuru!" Ratchet replied. "I know you can do it! You can bring Marcus here to the real world!"

Pupuru reached out to Marcus' mind as they both connected with each other. Sharing each other's memory triggered a great tremor in Marcus' soul. He began to glow a bright yellow, coming from his hands and his head. He was to transform into his mortal self.

"Stop!" Needles exclaimed through the mirror. "You'll regret this!"

But Marcus turned and said good-bye, ready to replace the evil Needles incarnation of himself with the GOOD one. "I'm through with you!" Marcus exclaimed.

Finally, the glowing light fully engulfed Marcus' whole body. As he transformed, Needles faded right out of the mirror and disappeared. He was gone, but not for good; his spirit would roam the dimensions of time and space until he would find his next victim.

When the glowing light faded, Marcus looked at himself; he now had black long hair and a thick beard. He wore a long trench-coat over a plain shirt, pants and neat shoes. He was now a normal human being. "Finally!" he shouted. "I MADE IT TO THE REAL WORLD!"

Epilogue (When Good Dreams Come True)

After the League of Heroes had fully recovered from the battle, Pupuru found herself living in the real world forever. This was no longer a terrible nightmare but a real life. Since that day, she had been fighting alongside with the League of Heroes, defending the world from any kind of evil.

Things were becoming like it was in Pupuru's dream, except that there was more good than bad. There were no more psychopaths to control, no more demons, and no more apocalypses. Pupuru's world was turning upside down. And that is the way she liked it.

**THE END!**

References and Notes:

1\. The conversation between Marcus and Calypso in chapter one is based on Marcus' ending cutscene in _Twisted Metal: Head-On. _The end was edited for this story.

2\. The prison that Pupuru was kept at was Blackfield Asylum from _Twisted Metal: Black._

3\. The Girls Brigade and the events that Pupuru remembers are the cancelled works of the original PSASBR fanfiction series, which was ultimately erased due to it being too gory and sexual.

4\. The Dark Knight (Marcus' monster incarnation) is adapted from Marcus' design in _Twisted Metal: Black _when he drove the tank Minion.

5\. At the end of _Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus_, Ratchet and Talwyn use the Dimensionator to enter the void where all remaining Lombaxes lived. I had to come up with how Ratchet and Talwyn left the void.

6\. The certain people that Ratchet was unable to call in chapter three included Jin Kazama and Hwoarang, a couple of characters from the _Tekken _series.

7\. WMIT is a radio station name I made myself as a joke. It stands for: "What Madness Is This?!"

8\. "Had Enough" is one of my favorite songs by Lifehouse.

9\. The phrase Pupuru heard in chapter five is a quote from _Twisted Metal: Black_, said by Jebidiah (Preacher).

10\. Agent Stone has been somewhat of a traitor in the first _Twisted Metal_ game. He wanted a flight recorder box that held evidence of an alien U.F.O., unlike Commander Mason (who wants to keep the world from knowing it).

11\. The TARDIS is the main trademark of the Doctor Who franchise (from BBC). TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, and is in the form of a blue police box (bigger on the inside).

12\. The news recording Ratchet played in chapter six is the recording played in one of the cutscenes of the _Twisted Metal_ reboot for PlayStation 3.

13\. I made up the Gargoyles myself. Orcs from the _Lord of the Rings _franchise somewhat inspired me to create such fantasy-like monsters.

14\. The suburbs are somewhat a mixture of the Midtown Suburbs from _Twisted Metal: Black_ and Cyburbia from the first _Twisted Metal_. I also added a dash of the Fyre Lake Community, which is where I live.

15\. The Zorko Bros. Scrap and Salvage junkyard is the first level of _Twisted Metal: Black_. I had to add in more scrap metal and junk for the Gargoyles to build up their bombs.

16\. The freeway was to be a mix of Highway Loop and the Freeway from _Twisted Metal: Black. _The tunnel part was to be as dark as the freeway from the first _Twisted Metal._ The freeway ends at the downtown area, based on Suburban Terror from _Twisted Metal Black 2: Harbor City_. The deeper part of downtown is based from the Downtown battleground from _Twisted Metal: Black_.

17\. I made up the fields, in which I placed them near the Millennium Drive-In Theater from _Twisted Metal: Black._

18\. I originally wanted Billy Ray Stillwell to attack Ratchet during the battle against the Dark Knight. In the end, he was placed in the downtown to attack Pupuru instead.


End file.
